Scott Watters

[damienc]

As we turn our attentions to who is coming and going from St Kilda, what do we make of Watters first year as coach of the Saints? Ross Lyon was a good footy coach no doubt about that. Look at what he did for the Dockers this year. They are barely recognisable on last year's form. But I'm happy to say that I have been really impressed with Scott Watters this year. I think he changed the St Kilda game plan in a way that needed to be changed. Not everything went exactly to plan. We lost a few close matches we should have won and we didn't make the finals. The Saints are lacking personnel in a few areas but I would give him an 8 out of 10.

[Kernal75]

He came in late, had no real say in the recruitment / list and did a good job. The next couple of years will be where he proves his worth, retiring players coming up and a list that we need to rejuvenate. He can coach no doubt and seems to have the uncompromising streak required to drive the club forward. Look forward to 2013.

[dragit]

8/10 for me would be reserved for finals… probably top 4.

10/10 is a premiership, 9/10 is probably losing a grand final, so 8 for this year is way over.

One win against a top 8 side, we lost plenty of matches we should have won.

I like Watters, he looks like he understands fully where we are at, but he's pretty green as far as match day coaching is concerned at the moment.

Too early to actually judge him really, but if I had too, maybe 6 out of ten.

[Moods]

Not sure we judge him purely on the team's results dragit. You need to put into perspective the list he had at his disposal. If Guy McKenna won 8 games this year, does he get a 5 out of 10. By rating the coach purely on where the team finishes on the ladder are we saying that the coach is wholey and totally responsible for everything that happens on the field? The development of young players, the natural improvement in game plan etc need to be evaluated as well.

I give him a 7and 1/2 out of 10. For whatever reason we needed to win at least a couple of close games. We couldn't do that. After a while that comes down to belief, which I think stems from coaching. Overall though a very promising first year. Certainly better than Lyon's first year with us - and if Watters improves like Lyon did we could be in for a hell of a ride.....

[dragit]

Not sure we judge him purely on the team's results dragit.

I agree, but 8 out of ten doesn't leave a lot of room to get to a perfect season of 10, which we were miles off.

Watters made plenty of mistakes this year IMO, which would be expected in your first year, but I think a really good seasoned coach would have got us a few more wins this year and probably a finals appearance. Our draw really gifted us 8 wins, one of which we lost… The good sides all had better of us in my mind.

Was great to see Newnes, Dunnell, Saad and Milera over Polo, Peake, Clarke and CJ towards the end.

[thejiggingsaint]

In many ways a very similar start to his coaching career for SW as RL had at the Saints. A coach departing in controversial circumstances, a reasonable list, and just missing out on a top eight spot. RL has probably had a better year at Freo, (but then has had five years more than SW as a senior coach) particularly in the manner in which they've ended the year. Personally, I have a quiet optimism about the club in the coming four-five years, as Pelchen and Watters go to work on their plans. In 2007 I was not so sure where we were headed, and the game style was BA! (albeit successful) I would give SW a seven/seven-and-half out of ten for 2012. I base this on his ability to blood kids and get an attacking style of play to be (relatively) successful. Yes, all in all a good year.

[clarky449]

I cant wait the day Scott Watters leaves the club and see the supporters opinion of him.

[jimmy_slats]

i think his last game of the season showed what he was really about.
Would of been so easy for the team to roll over given the circumstances though the fought so hard in the last and really ended the year all be it disappointing on a hi and has set us up very well going into the preseason.

[Teflon]

I cant wait the day Scott Watters leaves the club and see the supporters opinion of him.

Why?

[Moods]

I cant wait the day Scott Watters leaves the club and see the supporters opinion of him.

Why?

Yeah Why?

Personally I thought Lyon was a superb coach (as you obviously did) but the thread is about Watters.

[whiskers3614]

I cant wait the day Scott Watters leaves the club and see the supporters opinion of him.

Because you feel your hero has been under appreciated post departure?
Didn't like the prick before and him leaving has not altered my impression of him one iota.
As for Watters, the jury is out.Enjoy kicking it forward for a change but not too pleased with the number of goals conceded,may improve defensively but would need to.

[samoht]

We've got to give SW credit for one thing -
Under RL, we were going backwards - from 20 wins to 15 wins to 12 wins in successive years 2009, 2010 and 2011 - we were on a one way ticket and a slippery slope to oblivion.
.. so with 12 wins under SW this year, we at least arrested our steady decline.

- our percentage wasn't too shabby this year either.

[mbogo]

I think he has done some good things - on performance 6/10 but because of attitude and change in plan 6.5/10 (maybe a seven tops - but we would have to have beaten another top 8 team or won a close one - neither happened)
Plenty of reason to think he could get 7.5-8 next year (near to top four)

[clarky449]

I cant wait the day Scott Watters leaves the club and see the supporters opinion of him.

Why?

Yeah Why?

Personally I thought Lyon was a superb coach (as you obviously did) but the thread is about Watters.

What has Lyon got to do with this? I just see majority of supporters opinion of people goes very low once they arent involved in the club anymore.
Contray to popular belief, i like Scott Watters.

[samoht]

- and if Watters improves like Lyon did we could be in for a hell of a ride.....

But Lyon didn't improve - our team went from 20 wins to 15 wins to 12 wins in successive years (2009, 2010, 2011).
His coaching style has a short use by date.
He was a terrible coach.

The only area we improved in under RL was in managing our soft tissue injuries !

[dragit]

We've got to give SW credit for one thing -
Under RL, we were going backwards - from 20 wins to 15 wins to 12 wins in successive years 2009, 2010 and 2011 - we were on a one way ticket and a slippery slope to oblivion.
.. so with 12 wins under SW this year, we at least arrested our steady decline.- which would have surely continued under RL - who declared 2011 an end of an era and more or less gave up.
- our percentage wasn't too shabby this year either.

Who wants to play under a sourpuss ?

No, I won't give credit to Watters for that, I'll credit the draw for that, 8 games against bottom 5 sides… Last year we played 6 against the bottom 5.

And we actually won 22 matches in 2009, if Watters ever gets anywhere near that he should be very proud.

The Ross resentment is borderline childish.

[samoht]

The reality is; the more our team learned the RL game plan, the worse it performed ( accept for those supporters who choose to ignore facts).

[clarky449]

- and if Watters improves like Lyon did we could be in for a hell of a ride.....

But Lyon didn't improve - our team went from 20 wins to 15 wins to 12 wins in successive years (2009, 2010, 2011).
His coaching style has a short use by date.
He was a terrible coach.

The only area we improved in under RL was in managing our soft tissue injuries !

Please, you are embarrasing yourself saying that stuff.
Coaching stye has a short use by date? Fremantle are going terrible this year.
Prelim finals in 04-05, Elimination final in 2006. Lyon comes in 2007, finish outside the eight, makes prelim in 2008, makes the grand final in 2009 and 2010. Very hard for a team of our age that has been up for a while to back it up again in 2011.

[clarky449]

The reality is; the more our team learned the RL game plan the worse it performed ( accept for those supporters who choose to ignore facts).

Please post the facts.

[samoht]

The only people who are embarrassing themselves are the ones who ignore the facts - we were rapidly going backwards under RL !

[mbogo]

The only people who are embarrassing themselves are the ones who ignore the facts - we were rapidly going backwards under RL !

In the words of the great John MacEnroe "You can't be serious" - he is only the second coach to get us to two GFs .. get real.
Next you will be saying the same about Lethal and Malthouse - and Sheedy etc..
Just who IS a good coach?
Only those who quit after a GF WIN?

[clarky449]

The only people who are embarrassing themselves are the ones who ignore the facts - we were rapidly going backwards under RL !

In the words of the great John MacEnroe "You can't be serious" - he is only the second coach to get us to two GFs .. get real.
Next you will be saying the same about Lethal and Malthouse - and Sheedy etc..
Just who IS a good coach?
Only those who quit after a GF WIN?

He must be one of those weird, nuff nuff fans who think of the most nuff nuff stuff about football.

[SainterK]

Ross admitted himself it was the end of an era.

It's not a hard sell surely that he wasn't confident that the success would be sustained?

I think he is strongly motivated by challenging for finals, the fact he is self confessed career coach points to that fact. If he'd remained at the Saints his value would of diminished, we would of won less games, he'd not exactly steered the club in the youth direction to see him rise out of it quickly.

Sure, people say the Saints offended him at the last moment, but I'd argue it's easy to get offended when you want to justify something.

Saying as much hardly bags the guy...

[samoht]

He must be one of those weird, nuff nuff fans who think of the most nuff nuff stuff about football.

If nuff, nuff means I'm not ignoring the facts (re: us going backwards year after year under RL- when that's what was clearly and factually happening) - then yes. I'm gladly a nuff, nuff fan as opposed to a "bury your head in the sand and ignore the facts" fan .

Whilst I'm being taken to task, someone had posted,above, that RL improved himself and us over time (when the exact opposite happened) - so I'm sorry if I disabused him and other fans of RL, but someone had to state the facts.

I'm not a fan of RL, but I don't dislike RL or anyone for that matter and whereas some posters like to malign those that they disagree with, I like to steer clear from that silly stuff - I'm just stating the facts ..
and I agree with SainterK above - good post !

We're all Sainters. let's disagree in a civil way, without calling each other names nuff nuffs etc.and disparaging each other . - which only signifies that you're losing the argument, resorting to that crap !

[clarky449]

He must be one of those weird, nuff nuff fans who think of the most nuff nuff stuff about football.

If nuff, nuff means I'm not ignoring the facts (re: us going backwards year after year under RL- when that's what was clearly and factually happening) - then yes. I'm gladly a nuff, nuff fan as opposed to a "bury your head in the sand and ignore the facts" fan .

Whilst I'm being taken to task, someone had posted,above, that RL improved himself and us over time (when the exact opposite happened) - so I'm sorry if I disabused him and other fans of RL, but someone had to state the facts.

I'm not a fan of RL, but I don't dislike RL or anyone for that matter and wheareas some posters like to malign those that they disagree with, I like to steer clear from that silly stuff - I'm just stating the facts ..
and I agree with SainterK above - good post !

We're all Sainters. let;s disagree in a civil way !

Okay im happy to do it in a civil way, How did we go "backwards year are year under RL"?